The Great Escape
by ExpandingDarkness
Summary: Sammy has been scared for a while now. His father is back in town and things aren't how they usually are. Sammy longs for freedom, but he discovers things about himself along the way. This is my first Spn fic.
1. Chapter 1

This was worse than being alone.

Sam stared across the motel room at his father sitting at the table drinking a beer. Bad part was that Dean wasn't home. His big brother had excused himself from dinner after John had made a particularly snide comment about Sam doing better than Dean had ever in school. Sam, even though he was four years younger than his nineteen-year-old brother, knew how much that hurt Dean.

His brother had given up everything for the Winchester family's well being. Specifically Sam's. However, the lack of encouragement and continuous insults from John Winchester had worn down the older son. Dean used to have so much academic potential until he began to give into John's relentless demands to become a ruthless hunter that he saw himself as. Dean didn't want that at first. He had always had a scholarship within reach for most of his early teenage years for his insurmountable knowledge of mechanics. Dean had been ready to grab that money, but then John started to leave for months at a time. The one thing Dean couldn't bear was Sam not being cared for, which would've happened. That's why he abandoned the rest of his hope of going to college.

Now, their father was at home and the brothers' seemingly calm lives were going to shit.

Sam laid back on his pillow and turned his gaze toward the motel room's door. He felt his father's presence too sharply and it made him uneasy. Nobody was ever in their room except himself and Dean.

Sam's line of sight traveled to the table where John was seated. His cell phone was resting on the table, momentarily forgotten when John had ordered Sam away from the table after Dean stormed out. Two plans were formulating in his mind at the moment: get the phone and call Dean before his father did something psycho to him in his drunken state and risk being beaten to death. Or he could run out the door and search for Dean on foot and risk being beaten to death if he came back without Dean.

Neither idea was appealing.

"Where do you think you're going, boy?" John glared at him, "Sit back down."

Sam froze in place halfway to the door that he had unconsciously been creeping toward. Slowly, he turned to face the man he barely remembered as his father. He met a cold, hazy stare that promised bad things if he disobeyed.

'Suck it up, Winchester,' he told himself, 'You can hold your own against him. You aren't a little kid anymore.'

Inside he was the same little kid that would cry himself to sleep after his father gave him a slap or two. It was true at the moment that John Winchester didn't beat his teenage sons, but the boys knew that he had a snapping point.

That day had already come, that was the frightening part. John had nearly killed Sam over a comment about John's mission to destroy the yellow-eyed demon that had murdered Mary Winchester. If Dean hadn't been there to intercede, Sam would have been in a completely different state alogether.

Dean wasn't here now and that scared Sam to death. He wouldn't be able to stop John by himself.

"What about Dean?" asked Sam.

John rolled his eyes, "Its always Dean this, Dean that with you. You're becoming a freakin' pansy-ass, boy."

Sam tried to tell himself that that was only the alcohol talking instead of his actual father, but it wasn't as convincing as he had hoped.

"But-"

"What did I say, boy? Sit your ass down and shut up about your bitch brother. Serves him right for mouthing off to me in the first place. Now I know where you got your lip," John snarled.

Sam's face turned red and he stared down his father, "Don't you dare," he hissed.

John stood and advanced toward his younger son with fire in his eyes, "What did you say to me?" he asked dangerously. Sam gulped, but stood his ground. For fifteen, he was around the same height as his father. That made him more confident that he just might survive.

"Don't you dare talk about Dean like that!" Sam's voice had a growling edge to it that was more mature like Dean's.

"You little shit!"

Sam didn't remember what happened next since it came at him so fast. One second he was standing in a confrontation stance in front of his father, so close to the older man's face that he was breathing in the alcohol on John's breath. The next second he was on the ground with his nose bleeding profusely. John Winchester hauled Sam to his feet, gripping his shirt tightly, ready to punch him again. Sam raised his hand to deflect any blow that was inevitable to come. At the same time he was desperately trying to squirm out of his father's hold.

Sam mustered all of his physical and mental strength and _pushed_. To his surprise and his father's shock, John was sent flying across the room and crashed against the wall. For a moment, John slumped in a dazed manner.

This was his chance!

Sam raced across the room to retrieve his cell phone and his coat. Then he ran out the door without looking back at his father.

Horrified at what had just happened, Sam ran through the parking lot. On the way out, he noticed that the Impala was missing. Dean must have taken toward the road, Sam felt the rush of freedom. Nothing compared to this kind of high of breaking free. In the other part of his mind, he felt fear sapping the energy from his rush of freedom.

He needed to find Dean.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Please forgive the randomness that the plot has seemingly taken on

....................................

After a few minutes of running at full force, Sam looked back in the direction of the motel. He pulled out his cell phone and hit the first speed dial. The ground was cold and damp, but Sam didn't care as he sat down anyway.

"Hey, this is Dean, leave me a message," was the response on the phone after eight rings.

"Dean, it's Sam," Sam took a breath of frigid air, "I ran away from the motel. Dad hit me and something happened. I'm not going back home. Please call me back."

Hanging up, Sam drew his legs up to his chest. He stared down the street. He had to have gone a quarter to a half mile away from the motel. That was safe enough, he supposed. It wasn't like John was going to go after him. John Winchester wasn't that kind of man and he didn't have a car anyway. There was not even a slim possibility that John would go on foot. Not on this cold sun was almost completely down and the prospect of darkness made Sam tense. He knew what lurked in the dark. Howling of dogs and the rustle of leaves was all he could hear though. Nothing out of the rested his head on his drawn up knees. What had happened on the motel room anyway? First, it was the nightmares. Now it was telekinesis? Sam replayed his father flying across the room over and over in his head. It didn't make any sense. Why was it happening now? Why now when he had been having the nightmares for a long time? What was causing these weird things to happen to him?

The sound of his phone ringing cut through the fallen silence like a knife. Sam scrambled to open it. The called ID read that it was Dean.

"Dean," Sam said gratefully into the phone. He breathed out a sigh of relief.

"Whats wrong, Sammy? What happened?" demanded Dean's concerned voice.

"I...I don't know, Dean, I...." Sam tried to keep his shaking voice under control, "Dad said some bad things about you a-and he h-hit me and...Dean, I don't know what happened...he was going to hit me again, but I did something...and he flew across the room and hit the wall!" Sam's voice grew in pitch and panic, "I ran away, I'm so scared, he's going to k-kill me when I go home."

That was an understatement of a lifetime.

"Where are you?" asked Dean worriedly.

"Um, under the street sign 'Elm' and 'Grace'," Sam said looking up at the street sign.

He took it that Dean knew where that was since he did not ask for further directions. Sam held the phone to his ear and listened to the quietness. He could hear the hum of the Impala's engine.

"Dean?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you mad at me?"

"What? No! Why would I be mad?"

"Cuz I ran away from Dad."

There was a pause and a curse with the accompaniment of the screeching of tires.

"Dean??"

"Still here," Sam heard him suck in a breath, "damn rednecks!" Dean snarled. Sam smiled a little. Same ol' Dean Winchester. Muscle car, leather jacket, bad mouth, unique sense of humor...Sam loved it all. The only scary thing about Dean was how much he was like their father. Sam knew though that Dean had a different heart though. He would never do anything to hurt , the Impala barreled around the corner and came to a jumpy stop. Dean rushed toward him and Sam shakily stood.

"Sammy, are you okay?" Dean stopped in front of him, "You're bleeding."

Sam reached up and felt the drying blood from his nose. Tears sprang to his eyes and Sam felt them roll down his cheeks."Dean," he said weakly, "I'm sorry, I couldn't take it anymore..." his apology was cut short by a sob. Dean's face reflected anguish and he reached for Sam. The sobbing teenager didn't know what to make of that, but he allowed Dean to continue. Dean wrapped his arms around his baby brother and held him. Sam pressed his face into Dean's shoulder and gripped the front of his brother's shirt. His sobs came as heavy blows to Dean's heart. He knew he shouldn't have left Sammy alone with his father. Guilt clutched Dean as tightly as Sam's hands on his shirt.

"Sammy," Dean tried to swallow, "Its going to be okay, Sammy. I'm gonna take care of you."He heard a muffled *sniff* and then, "You won't leave me?"

That was the most painful.

Dean was not going to become his father. He wasn't going to leave his Sammy. Not again.

"Never, Sammy," Dean choked on the words.

"Promise?"Sammy released his hold, wiped his eyes, and studied Dean's face.

"I promise."

................................................

Sam saw the sincerity in his big brother's eyes and realized this was the most serious he had ever seen him as. Definitely a milestone. Something was wrong about the picture though. Dean was crying. That never happened, not even when he was straightened up and wiped the tears away casually. He saw Sammy staring at him almost in disbelief. Embarassed, Dean smiled awkwardly at his little brother. Sammy smiled back, then shivered. Going back to Protective Mode, Dean grabbed Sammy's shoulder.

"You must be freezing," he observed, "how 'bout we go somewhere?"

"Where?"

"Uh...let's go get something to eat," suggested Dean, "I didn't eat most of my dinner and you can have dessert. Whaddya say?"

"Sure!" Sammy perked siblings climbed into the Impala and Dean cranked up the heater that had been running. Then he shrugged off his coat. He handed Sammy his coat.

"Here, you're freezing," Dean told him.

Sam hesitated before sliding into the larger coat. Dean slid in a tape that was resting inside the glove compartment. Sam grinned when he recognized the song. It was "Hotel California" by the soothing guitars and vocals got the best of Sammy. Exhausted after a full day of school, not much sleep due to a nightmare, what had gone down at the motel, and crying Sam's eyes closed and he began to drift smiled as he watched Sammy fall asleep. He drove to a fast-food joint and ordered a burger and fries. Eating as he drove, he contemplated where he was going to go. He didn't want to go home and neither did Sam. Then again, they couldn't just sleep in the car for the rest of their lives. Sam had school the next day, but Dean wouldn't have the heart to make him go if he didn't want to. Finally finishing his food, Dean turned the Impala around and headed for the motel.

........................................

Dean quietly opened the door to their motel room. John was passed out in a chair, snoring loudly. Dean crept past him and pulled out a suitcase from under each of the beds. He opened the chest of drawers and pulled everything out and began to shove it into their respective went to the kitchenette and grabbed the salt and went to the knife drawer, taking all of the knives he could find. He looked behind him to make sure his father was really out before going to the safe. A moment later he had a thousand dollars in hand and was heading out the door. Dean stowed everything in the backseat and checked on Sammy. He was fast asleep in the passenger seat breathing , Dean slipped into the Impala and started the engine. It emitted a small roar that made Sam roll to his side. Pulling out of the motel parking lot, Dean hummed to himself. His mind was buzzing. There wasn't anywhere to go since Sammy was bound and determined to stay in school. Dean supposed that they would just take some time up his mind, Dean went in search of another motel.

............................................

"Hello?" called Sam for what seemed to be the billionth time. He was standing in a dark room alone. All he could hear was a shower going until he heard a car door slam outside. One door opened and Sam saw a young man enter.

"Jess?" called the the man heard the shower too because he set down his things on the floor and laid on the bed. Sam explored the house until he heard a muffled thud. He went back into the bedroom. As soon as he entered he saw what was on the ceiling. Stumbling backwards he fell. He heard another car door slam and saw blood dripping from the young woman pinned to the ceiling onto the man's man woke up in a start.

"NO!"

Sam felt someone shaking him and he saw Dean leaning over him.

"Hey," said Dean worriedly, "You okay, buddy?"

Sam sucked in a breath and nodded. It was just another nightmare. Just another one of his nightmares.

"Nightmare," he gasped, as if Dean didn't already know.

"Just your imagination," Dean told him, "But. . .do you want to tell me about it?"

"Nah," Sam shook his head, "Like you said, it's only my imagination."

Though in the back of his mind, that dream felt very real. It was almost as if Sam knew the sleeping man and the woman on the ceiling. Or rather, he will know them.

'That's silly,' Sam told himself, 'Go to sleep.'

So he did without dreaming about the young couple again. He knew Dean was there and was going to protect him no matter what. That's what mattered.

......................................

AN: How did ya like it? Tell me in a review. If ya want me to continue, please inform me and I will grace you with another chapter or so. Lol, thanks!


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Okay, I wrote another chapter. Yays for y'all! I hope to get many reviews cuz they make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside!

(Four years later)

"If you don't want to do your part around here, you get out of here and stay out!" John Winchester bellowed at him.

Sam turned away and heard John storm out of the motel room, slamming the door behind him. A moment later, he heard the Impala's engine roar and the screeching of car tires on asphalt.

For a moment, he wanted to scream. Why was everyone so mad at him over this? It was just college!

John hadn't taken the announcement that the youngest Winchester had been accepted to Stanford well. In his eyes, his younger boy was betraying his family. Sam had tried to explain himself. John hadn't listened.

Sam finished throwing his clothes into his duffle. Tears blinded him every few minutes and he had to pause for a second to wipe them away. Dean would understand, wouldn't he? Dean always got him. Once he knew that Sam was going to college so he didn't have to look after him anymore, Sam knew Dean would understand. Right? He had to!

Bobby was bringing Dean home after a hunt they had been on tomorrow. Sam wasn't sure he could face anybody, not even the two men that knew him the best. Not even Dean. So he was leaving tonight.

So he sat down at the table after gathering his luggage. Scribbling in his neat cursive that Dean called 'girly handwriting', Sam poured his thoughts onto the page.

Sam folded the piece of paper neatly when he was finished. Then he picked up his baggage and left the motel. He went down to the bus stop and waited for the bus to stop and carry him away.

(The next day)

Dean stepped inside the motel room and immediately felt that it had been changed. Then he saw Sam's bed was neatly made up and his belongings gone. Dean gulped as he searched for a sign of his missing little brother. He saw the note on the table and everything around him melted away.

Dean unfolded the note and saw Sammy's girly handwriting. Gingerly, he picked it up and began to read.

Dear Dean,

I don't know where to begin. Let's just say that a lot of things has happened since you left to go on your hunt with Bobby. For starters, I decided that I am going to go to college. I'm already accepted to Stanford University in California. I have a free ride already so nobody has to worry about that.

Dad didn't take my announcement really well though. He told me that if I was going to leave, then I needed to stay out. There wasn't even a chance for me to explain my reasoning. Maybe you'll tell him later, but he isn't going to listen to me. I can't come back.

The reason I want to go to college is so that I can further my education and because of you. All my life you've said how I could be anything I wanted to be. All of my life you've been supporting me. I want to leave for a while so that you can follow _your_ dreams. I don't want to hold you back anymore. You're free to be a hunter and be Dad's son again. I just hope I'm making the right decision. All of this should sound insane to a hunter's ears, but I hope you can understand my actions.

Forever your little brother,

Sammy

For a moment, Dean stood there, stunned. Sam is gone, Sam is gone, Sam is GONE! Tears flooded his eyes. Make his dreams happen? Oh Sam....he had no idea..... Dean really was happy, wasn't he?

"Dean?" asked the familiar voice of Bobby.

Dean turned, he had forgotten about his friend. The concern in Bobby's eyes just killed Dean more. It resembled the emotions that he felt for Sammy right now. Oh God...he couldn't live without Sam and he knew it.

"Sammys gone," he choked on the words, "but I can't...I can't let him go. Not like this, he's trying to do this for me. I-I don't want this though..."

"Then you should tell him," Bobby said calmly.

..............................

Sam sat on his new bed and was leafing through his orientation syllabus when his cellphone rang. He looked over and saw 'Call Waiting: Dean' on the screen. Sam squeezed his eyes closed. Could he speak to Dean now? ignored the phone, put down his syllabus, and went to the bathroom to take a shower.

With the water going, he didn't hear the phone ring three more separate times.


	4. Chapter 4

AN: I kinda sorta am iffy about this chapter so I really really need reviews on this! I love you all!

The only thoughts rushing through his mind was _'get to Sam'_. That's all that really mattered. He had to talk to his little brother. He had to tell him that this wasn't about him. Dean knew that this must be the chick-flick movie of his life, but at this point, he didn't care. There was no stopping him. He was a man on a mission to tell his baby brother how he really felt and how damned _wrong_ he was!

Dean knew that part of what Sam hadn't put in his letter was another reason why he had left. He was scared of what he was becoming. Somehow, Sam had been growing mentally. Every time he got scared, something moved without him touching it. Every time something bad was about to happen, Sam had a nightmare the night before. Dean knew why Sam had really left. It was the powers. They scared the crap out of his brother and Dean knew it. The older Winchester brother couldn't blame him either, that was some freaky shit.

He could remember the one time that it was the scariest it had ever been. Sam had come home one day sick and his illness lasted a week and every time that he sneezed. . .

"_Sam!" Dean shouted as he ducked. The textbook flew over him where his head had been a moment before. _

"_S-sorry, Dean," Sam sniffled from the bed. _

_Dean sighed as he straightened back up. This was getting ridiculous. Telekinetic sneezing?! What was next? He looked over at his brother and melted. Sam's small body was almost completely hidden by blanket upon blanket. The teenager's face was pale, but his cheeks had a slight pink tinge. It wasn't healthy pink though, more like major ill pink. Their father didn't want to take Sam to the hospital due to his heightened telekinetic abilities. Dean came and sat at the foot of Sam's bed and patted Sam's buried foot. Or his knee, Dean couldn't tell which one. _

"_Don't sweat it, kiddo, everything's fine," Dean told him with a reassuring smile._

"_I don't feel fine," grumbled Sam as he gave his signature pout. Dean wilted under that. Sam was a smart kid, he knew when things were bad. This was bad. Telekinesis was bad. Nothing about this was normal either. _

"_Well, everything's going to be okay," Dean told him strongly, "No matter how much you throw at me with that big brain of yours."_

Dean stared out of the windshield as they drove through the daylight. Bobby glanced over at him. They hadn't said anything to each other for hours. There was nothing to say. There wasn't anything that they could say. Both were concerned for the young man that they knew and loved. Dean knew that Bobby was also concerned for him, but he didn't let on that he knew. There was some things that you didn't say out loud. Those were the things you just knew. If only Sammy knew.

Then it hit him. He understood it all now. Sam wanted to be normal. It all made sense! High school, college, degree, job, no family of hunters to deal with. . .Sam wanted to be normal! Why had it taken so long for him to figure this out?!


	5. Chapter 5

Nothing made Dean feel more like shit than this.

He was about to make a mistake.

It was a big mistake, but he didn't care.

He was going to do it for Sam.

His Sam, his little baby Sammy.

The Sammy that Dean Winchester would do anything for.

"Bobby?"

"Yeah, Dean?"

"Turn the car around."

"What?"

"I said 'turn the car around'," Dean said with a repeat of his earlier statement.

"Why?"

"Because I don't think that going to see Sam is the best idea."

"I thought you. . .never mind."

Bobby turned the car around.

They headed in the opposite direction of the way to Palo Alto.

This would be a long journey.

A long journey without Sam Winchester at Dean Winchester's side.

All was not right.

//Fin//


End file.
